The Wave
Aging Trends in Chautauqua County
We can start with a look at long-term care.
While there is no required - or even officially recommended - number of skilled nursing facility beds for a local population, we can compare national and county numbers:
These same challenges are being experienced across New York State.
“In New York, Medicaid reimbursement is so low that it only funds about 73% of the cost of a Medicaid resident in a nursing home, according to Stephen Hanse, president and CEO of the NYS Health Facilities Association and NYS Center for Assisted Living. Nursing homes in the state are paid based on 2007 costs, he said.” (Stulick, Amy. “Fears of “Unmanageable” Closure Threats Heightened by Staffing Mandate, Subpar Medicaid, and Continuing Pipeline Issues.” Skilled Nursing News, 18 Mar. 2025, skillednursingnews.com/2025/03/fears-of-unmanageable-closure-threats-heightened-by-staffing-mandate-subpar-medicaid-and-continuing-pipeline-issues/. Accessed 2 Jan. 2026.).
In this brief video clip, Sebrina Barrett, president and CEO of LeadingAge NY, testifies before legislators during the 2025 NYS health budget hearing.
Her comments summarize the severity, and the implications, of the challenges faced by not-for-profit nursing homes across New York State.
Another implication of our county’s aging population is the anticipated need for even more treatment and management of chronic diseases.
Because chronic diseases become more prevalent and require more care as people grow older, the age distribution of a county’s population is a significant public health measure.
The unsurprising point is this: an aging population requires more medical care, both treatment and ongoing management of chronic illnesses….
… and, when that treatment and management require extended care, an aging population also needs nursing home- and home-based services.